California’s 9.5 million children are at a critical point when it comes to health and education – two areas where the state already is performing poorly, according to a statewide report card released Thursday.

With fewer than half of the state’s 3- and 4-year-olds attending preschool, an on-time high school graduation rate of 65percent, and about 33percent of children considered overweight or obese, the Oakland-based Children Now nonprofit group gave out grades ranging from B+ to D+ in its “California Report Card 2008: The State of the State’s Children.”

“The health and education of California’s kids are at a pivotal point,” said Ted Lempert, president of Children Now, which based its grades on the most recent statewide data available.

“Whether or not all children have health insurance will likely be decided by the voters in November,” Lempert said, adding that implementing education reform this year during a budget deficit requires lawmakers to make children a top priority.

“Doing anything less would misrepresent the overwhelming will of California voters and the needs of the state,” he said.

The worst marks came in child safety and integrated services – when residents can find multiple services for health care, counseling, adult education or enrichment activities in one place – and the fight against childhood obesity.

“In terms of obesity, we really need to focus on prevention at the earliest ages,” said Betty Hennessy, program director with the Healthy Schools Office of the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

“It’s not just about physical activity or nutrition,” she said. “It’s looking at the whole child, the family, the community, the school lunch program, the P.E. program, the after-school program, mental health services.

“And the county is working with the state and federal Centers for Disease Control (and Prevention) to provide that coordinated school health program model.”

Academically, the Children Now report said K-12 students may be showing slight gains in test scores, but only about 40percent are proficient in English and math at their grade levels.

That means it will take 30 years for all children to reach the state’s academic goals, study officials said.

The report card’s highest mark, B+, was given only in one area – after-school programs. Infant health and adolescent health each received a B-.

Health insurance, mental health, oral health, asthma, early education and K-12 education each received a C or C-.

Because of the state’s high cost of living, two-income families must earn at least $72,300 a year – more than three times the federal poverty level – to cover housing, child care, food, health insurance and transportation costs, the report said.

Single parents would need to earn nearly $60,000 a year.

But in reality, fewer than half of families with children in California earn that much, study officials said.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell said he has “long advocated” the very things called for in the report, including quality preschool and building an information system that will help schools better serve students.

“The report correctly points out the urgency of closing the achievement gap, which is my top priority,” O’Connell said.

The 2008 California Report Card can be viewed at www.childrennow.org/reportcard.